Riksen



B. E. HENRIKSEN. Pneumatic Safety-Clutch.

No. 223,287. Patented Jan. 6,1880.

N- TEIgS. PHOTGUTHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. 04c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BERNHARDT E. HENRIKSEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC SAFETY-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,287, dated January6, 1880.

Application filed November 21, 1879.

v To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BERNHARDT E. HEN-RIKSEN, of the city and county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia, have invented a Pneumatic Safety-Clutch; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in elevators and hoists ofany description such as are employed to convey goods and passengers; andits object is to secure the cages or platforms of such elevators orhoists against sudden falls, which are usually caused by the breaking ofthe cable or hoisting machinery.

My invention consists in the employment of a pneumatic fan or plate inconnection with the elevator platform or cage and suitable mechanicaldevices, whereby any unusual speed of the descending cage or platformwill cause these devices to be actuated by the resistance of theatmosphere, and thus check or stop the speed of the platform.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure l is a front elevation of an elevatorcageillustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side section of the same.

A B (J constitute the usual frame-work of an elevatorcage. D is alightsubstantial fan or parachute secured beneath the platform. It

will be manifest that this fan may be formed to operate in various ways;but in the pres- .ent case I have shown it as aflat fan mountedhorizontally upon a shaft, E, with bearings upon the frame A. This shaftpasses across near one edge of the fan, and the other edge is left freeto move up and down, being counterbalanced by weights 0, as shown.

F F are trip-levers, made in the present case somewhat in form like abellcrank lever, and secured to the frame A so as to act upon the lowerends of the upright rods G G, which extend up beside the side timbers Bof the cage, and are connected by links with the axes of the movablecog-wheels and safety-catches H H. These catches have their outer facesmade eccentric or cam-shaped, and are provided with holding-teeth, sothat when they are turned outward by the action of the rods G and thecog-wheels they will engage with the guide-timbers and stop the cage.

I I are stationary toothed sectors, secured to the cage-frame so thatthe teeth of the cogwheels H will mesh with them, and when forced upwardby the action of the rods- G they will be rotated upon the circumferenceof the sector and carried outward by the curve,

at the same time turning the holding-teeth upon the cam-face, so thatthese teeth will be forced against the guide-timbers and the cage lockedand prevented from any further descent.

Arms J J are journaled upon the cross-bar G of the cage, and have theweights K fixed to one end, while the opposite end is connected with theaxis of the cog and safety-catch H. These weighted arms serve to keepthe gears in contact with the sectors, and also to act ascounter-balances to throw the safety-catches outward as soon as they arereleased by the action of the fan.

The operation of my device is as follows: Whenever, by accident orotherwise, the cage becomes released, so as to fall rapidly, this rapidmotion produces a compression of the air beneath, which will act uponthe fan or parachute and force it upward. As it rises it will strike thetriplevers F, and by its action upon them it will release the rods G.The weights K will then act upon the pinionsH (by means.

of the arms J) and cause them to rotate upon the toothed sections I,which carries them outward, and at the same time turns them so that thetoothed eccentric or cam-shaped outer faces will be thrown into contactwith the guideposts M, so as to engage with them and act assafety-catches, thus holding the cage and preventing it from fallingfarther. These eccentrics or cam-shaped surfaces form a i powerfulwedge-brake, the power of which increases with the strain which isbrought upon them, and will instantaneously arrest the fall of the cage.By raising the weights K the trip-levers are again set, being self-acting.

It'will be manifest that various means for arranging the fan may bedevised. It may be supported upon a central stem, which may move inguides and act upon the trip-levers or equivalent devices for causingthe safetycatches to be thrown out when necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improvement in operating the safetycatches of elevators,consisting of the fan or parachute D, suspended beneath the platform soas to be actuated by the current of air caused by a rapid descent of theplatform. and connected with the safety-catches so as to throw them outby such action, substantially as herein described. a

2. The fan D, supported from the cage or platform A, so as to be movedby the pressure of air caused by a rapid descent of the cage,

. and connected with the catches H by the rods izo G and trip-levers F,so as to cause said catches to act, substantially as herein described.

3. The eccentric or cam-shaped catches H, having gear-teeth upon theirinner faces, and the corresponding toothed sections I, secured to thebeams O. with which they mesh, in combination with the weighted arms J,whereby the catches are thrown outward when released and into contactwith the guide-posts, substantially as herein described.

4:. The fan D, hinged or otherwise movably connected with the cage orplatform A,incombination with the trip-levers F, rods Gr, safetycatchesH, and weighted levers J, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

BERNHARDT E. HENRIKSEN.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, FRANK A. BROOKS.

